President Donald Trump’s 30% tariff on European imports has French food producers warning of massive financial losses and long-term industry disruption. The new tariff, which goes into effect August 1, targets goods from EU nations in response to what Trump called “large and unsustainable Trade Deficits against the United States.”
In a letter to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Trump cited national security concerns and pledged to match any retaliatory tariffs with additional penalties. “It’s a real shock for milk and cheese producers – this is an important market for us,” said Francois Xavier Huard, head of the French dairy group FNIL. He added, “I don’t think this is temporary.”
France exports about $409 million in dairy products to the U.S. annually, with cheeses like Brie being top sellers. French dairy officials now fear the new tariff could slash those revenues by tens of millions of euros. “We will be less competitive,” warned Yannick Fialip of CNPA, pointing to inflation and a weak dollar already straining French food exports.
Wine, a key French export, also faces uncertainty. As Fialip noted, “Products like wine… are consumed for pleasure—if you have less money to spend, you might forgo the purchase.”
Von der Leyen called the tariffs harmful but left the door open for talks: “We will continue working towards an agreement by August 1.”
